Nutritionist Heidi Skolnik advises both the Giants and her female clients at the Hospital for Special Surgery on eating habits to preserve musculoskeletal health for the long haul. For women entering the menopausal years and beyond, getting enough calcium to protect bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis is a special concern. (The government recommends 1,000 milligrams for adults ages nineteen to fifty, 1,200 milligrams for adults fifty-one or older, and 1,200–1,500 milligrams for postmenopausal women.) A diet with plenty of (mostly low-fat) dairy products should do the trick (see the list below). If not, a calcium citrate supplement can make up the difference. Besides calcium’s bone-strengthening properties, evidence suggests that it helps to regulate blood pressure, and intriguing, preliminary evidence suggests that it may stimulate the body to burn fat more efficiently. No matter how good you think your diet may be, if you’re a woman over forty, you should get a bone-density test and a full blood and urine test workup to see if you’re at risk for osteoporosis. Senior men can also be at risk.

It isn’t enough just to consume calcium. The body has to properly absorb it, and here vitamin D plays a crucial role. During the warm-weather months, your body manufactures vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight. During the colder months (or all year if you don’t go outside much or wear strong sunblock religiously when you do), your stores of vitamin D drop. Foods such as organ meats and cold-water fish such as sardines and herring have some vitamin D, but you’d have to eat like a Siberian fisherman to reach the government’s recommended daily intake of 400 international units. The usual route is fortified foods (milk is usually fortified with 125 IU) and supplements (a good multivitamin should have 400 IU, but make sure it’s the more potent vitamin D3 form). Because a hip fracture can be a life-threatening trauma for the elderly, especially elderly women, Skolnik recommends for them a daily intake of at least 800 IU and, depending on the individual, as high as 2,000 IU. Have your vitamin D levels checked and consult with your doctor. (Vitamin D deficiency can result in muscle pain, and recent studies have linked low vitamin D intake with an increased risk of cancer, among other diseases. That should get your attention considering 41 percent of men and 53 percent of women in the United States are vitamin D deficient.)

Supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation and protect muscles and connective tissues is also a sensible choice. (Skolnik suggests a two-to-four-gram daily intake, taking the pill with food and splitting up the dosage over the day.)

There are other joint-friendly supplements out there with some supporting science on their side (if not the research pedigree of omega-3) that may be worth looking into. SAM-e (S-Adenosyl-methionine) is derived from the amino acid methionine; Zyflamend combines two spices with confirmed anti-inflammatory effects, ginger and turmeric. Enthusiasm, and positive study results, has waned for another combo supplement, glucosamine and chondroitin. In a 2006 New England Journal of Medicine study, the supplement did not reduce pain overall, but did benefit one subgroup of patients with moderate to severe pain. In a smaller 2008 study published in Arthritis and Rheumatism, the supplement scored no better than a sugar pill placebo. (Check with your physician before beginning any supplementation program.)

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A leading orthopedic surgeon and a top sports chiropractor team up to offer a groundbreaking new approach to remaining injury-free and recovering from injury faster.
Muscle injuries are not just for sports superstars anymore. Back, shoulder, hip, and knee problems bedevil more and more people than ever before. Muscle Medicine provides a way to prevent such injuries from happening and to treat them when they do without drugs or surgery. The product of a collaborative effort between two widely recognized authorities on sports injuries, Muscle Medicine relies on cutting-edge medical and therapeutic expertise to deliver what many doctors cannot: explanations of how to maintain good muscle health, how to treat common muscle injuries, such as “Tennis Elbow” and “Cell Phone Neck,” and how to determine when joint surgery is and is not necessary for some common orthopedic problems. By focusing on the health of our muscles, we can prevent many sports injuries from occurring and recover faster from the ones that do, say the coauthors, whose A-list clients have included John McEnroe and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Featuring more than 100 illustrations that show the basics of muscle mechanics, along with various stretching, strengthening, and self-treatment exercises, Muscle Medicine will help readers enjoy pain-free, active lives no matter what their age or activity level.

Rob DeStefano, D.C., is a sports chiropractor, a national leader in the field of manual muscle therapies, and an avid triathelete. He divides his busy practice between offices in New Jersey and Manhattan's La Palestra health club, and he regularly consults for the New York Giants NFL football team and the Ironman World Triathalon Championships in Hawaii.

Vitamin D is that is generated by the entire body when confronted with the sun. There are other options for getting enough of this important vitamin living close to the polar regions with limited sunlight. You’ll be able to supplement with foods which has vitamin D as well as some dairy that’s fortified along with it.